Functional Blood Chemistry: an evidence-forward guide for patients who want to get ahead of disease — Greenville, SC

Why this matters now — and why Greenville patients are searching for answers

Over the last decade more people have moved from passive “doctors tell me what to test” medicine to proactive, data-driven prevention. You read the podcasts, follow the literature, and want specific targets — not just “your labs are normal” — because normal lab ranges are built to catch disease, not to optimize performance, resilience, or longevity. Functional blood chemistry narrows the parameters, looks for early drift away from ideal physiology, and gives clinicians actionable targets to get you back into a place of robust energy, metabolic resilience, and cardiovascular safety.

Locally in Greenville, SC, search interest for “functional medicine blood work,” “advanced lipid testing,” and “optimal vitamin D” is rising — people want the same deep, research-centered care popularized by voices like Mark Hyman and Peter Attia, paired with local, practical follow-up that doesn’t stop at a PDF report.

‍Our Story:

The founder of Mountain Movement Center Dr. Day found himself bed ridden for almost a year and eventually got bounced around the medical system and found himself on 7 diffrent medications by 23. 

Lost and confused and sick don’t begin to describe what he went through. 

He took a leap of faith and enrolled in natural health instead of mainstream health in Los Angeles and the rest is history.  Rubbing elbows with the best functional medicine doctors in the world he was able heal his body back to health. 

It was a winding road, but it made him cognizant of the many interplaying factors in chronic illness.  

Now he has treated 1,000’s of cases both in Greenville, SC, and in Southern California and his real passion is to make functional medicine accessible and clear. 

There is no need to just “Detox” or “Get a parasite out.” True health could be about so many lifestyle, hormonal or metabolic factors that you need someone to piece together the proper results, take a proper history, and design a plan that grows with you!

Origin story: who invented this lens and why it’s different

Two important lineages drove the modern functional blood chemistry movement:

• Dr. Datis Kharrazian — whose courses and teaching materials popularized a pattern-based way of reading blood chemistry that focuses on early functional derangements rather than waiting for frank disease. Dr. Kharrazian’s educational work helped codify detailed interpretive rules used by clinicians to spot pre-disease trends. (kharrazianinstitute.com)
• Apex Seminars / Apex Energetics — the company behind a suite of practitioner trainings (Mastering Functional Blood Chemistry, Fundamentals of Functional Blood Chemistry) and supplements that support pathway-based interventions. Apex’s seminar curriculum teaches a structured, practical approach clinicians use to connect specific lab patterns to pathway-focused nutrition and supplement strategies. (Apex Seminars™, apexenergetics.com)

What these approaches share is a simple clinical philosophy: your blood rarely “jumps” from healthy to diseased — it drifts. A skilled practitioner reading functional patterns looks for those drifts and chooses inexpensive, targeted interventions (nutrition, lifestyle, nutrients) that restore normal physiology before you need high-cost prescriptions or invasive care.

The simple truth: after years of consulting, it’s usually the basics

We’ve sat with thousands of panels. The big wins keep being the fundamentals: optimize vitamin D, fix iron handling before frank anemia, catch early insulin resistance, correct hepatic stressors, and get a deeper look at cardiovascular particle burden. You don’t need every test in existence — you need the right tests and the right interpretation. That’s the art and science of functional blood chemistry.

What we test (and why) — the practitioner’s short list (expanded)

Below is the long-form, clinician-grade menu of labs we use most often when we’re trying to prevent disease and optimize function. Each test has a specific role in revealing early dysfunction.

1. Core metabolic + CBC panel (but read functionally)

• CBC with differential — not just to find anemia, but to evaluate trends in mean corpuscular volume (MCV), RDW, white-cell patterning that hint at chronic inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, or marrow stress.
• Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) — electrolytes, kidney markers, and liver enzymes; we interpret ALT/AST not only as disease flags but as signals of hepatic metabolic stress and mitochondrial load that can often be improved with targeted interventions.

Why this matters: many standard GP labs stop after a cursory glance at normal vs abnormal. Functional interpretation looks at where within the normal range a value sits — and whether that position is consistent with metabolic strain.

2. Early metabolic dysfunction & insulin resistance

• Fasting insulin and basal insulin trends (not everyone orders this but we do).
• Fasting glucose and HbA1c — still useful, but insensitive to early insulin resistance.
• Triglyceride/HDL ratio (TG/HDL) — a simple, validated surrogate marker of insulin resistance; rising TG/HDL often precedes frank hyperglycemia and is a cost-effective early signal we act on. (PMC)

Practical target: we don’t wait for diabetes. When TG/HDL, fasting insulin, or other metabolic clues trend toward insulin resistance, we intervene with diet, exercise timing, and targeted nutrient support.

3. Expanded cardiovascular risk (beyond the basic lipid panel)

• ApoB — counts atherogenic particles and helps detect risk when LDL-C looks “ok.” Peter Attia and other longevity-focused clinicians emphasize ApoB as a more accurate measure of atherogenic particle burden. (Peter Attia)
• Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) — a strongly heritable risk factor; many experts recommend at least a one-time measurement because a high Lp(a) changes the intensity of preventive strategies. Peter Attia is a prominent advocate for adding ApoB and Lp(a) into the preventive toolkit. (Peter Attia)

Why we add these: early knowledge of particle burden and inherited risk changes prevention — it’s not just about treating later disease; it’s about changing trajectories earlier.

4. Inflammation & vascular risk

• hs-CRP, homocysteine (when indicated), and sometimes IL-6 or fibrinogen in higher-risk patients. These markers guide the urgency and aggressiveness of anti-inflammatory and cardiometabolic interventions.

5. Micronutrient & endocrine screens that matter

• Vitamin D (25-OH D) — many functional clinicians aim for higher ranges than standard labs report. Both Dr. Mark Hyman and practitioners in the longevity space often target vitamin D in the ~40–60 ng/mL range for many patients, adjusted individually. This is a recurring recommendation among those focused on immune resilience, mood, and metabolic health. (Mark Hyman, MD, Routines)
• Iron studies and ferritin — interpreted for function (energy, oxidation) not just frank anemia.
• Thyroid panel (TSH + free T4, free T3, rT3, thyroid antibodies when indicated) — expanded thyroid testing finds early dysfunction before symptomatic hypothyroidism.
• Sex hormones (testosterone/estradiol in context), DHEA, cortisol rhythm — when clinically relevant for fatigue, weight, or recovery.

6. Liver enzyme optimization

• ALT / AST trends and GGT — we look for patterns that indicate fatty-liver biology, mitochondrial stress, or toxin load and then prioritize interventions (nutrition, weight, targeted supplements) to restore enzyme patterns — not simply “wait and watch.”

ALT and AST are not just “liver disease” flags — in functional interpretation they are read as dynamic biomarkers of metabolic stress we can often reverse.

7. Next Level Testing: Hormones, Allergies, Gut and many more. 

There are many more labs we can order but that is the beauty.  We can explore those as your first rule out the more affordable and easy to change options!

Dr. Day has even designed a specific program called The Restoration Plan to onboard you quicker!

How interpretation differs from the standard model

• Narrower, functional targets: standard reference ranges are broad and disease-oriented; functional ranges target optimal performance and resilience.
• Pattern recognition: we read combinations of values to identify pathway dysfunction — e.g., low ferritin + high RDW + borderline MCV = early iron-handling issue even with a “normal” hemoglobin.
• Actionable, cost-effective steps: often the interventions are inexpensive — vitamin D, targeted nutrients, diet timing, fiber, and an exercise prescription — and they prevent escalation to costly care.

The practical economics and the follow-up problem

You’ve probably seen brands that sell direct-to-consumer panels or concierge labs. Many of those services charge a premium for the initial test — and then deliver a generic, templated follow-up that’s frustratingly one-size-fits-all. The functional-blood-chemistry approach is different because the value is in the interpretation and the follow-through: individualized treatment, stepwise retesting, and measurable targets. That’s what we deliver in Greenville: accessible testing plus an evidence-based, personalized plan.

Case examples (real-world, anonymized patterns we treat)

These brief vignettes show how small shifts become big wins when treated early.

Case A — The fatigued professional
Labs: normal CBC, ferritin mid-low, mild ALT elevation, vitamin D 18 ng/mL.
Interpretation: early iron handling issue + hepatic metabolic strain + vitamin D deficiency.
Plan: targeted iron strategy (diet + low-dose iron when indicated), vitamin D repletion to a 40–60 ng/mL target, hepatic-support nutrition, and re-test at 8–12 weeks. Outcome: restored energy, improved sleep, ALT trended down.

Case B — The athlete worried about heart risk
Labs: LDL-C “okay,” but ApoB elevated and Lp(a) in high range.
Interpretation: particle burden and inherited risk not visible on standard lipid panel.
Plan: advanced lipid discussion, aggressive lifestyle changes, omega-3 optimization, and cardiology referral for risk stratification. Outcome: early intervention, clarity on long-term strategy.

Case C — The patient with “borderline” sugar labs
Labs: normal fasting glucose, HbA1c 5.6%, TG/HDL ratio elevated, fasting insulin high.
Interpretation: early insulin resistance — we don’t wait for diabetes.
Plan: time-restricted eating, targeted carb quality changes, resistance training, and nutraceutical support to blunt insulin spikes. Outcome: improved TG/HDL and insulin at 12 weeks.

(These are representative examples — your plan will depend on your unique pattern.)

What makes a good functional blood-chemistry provider (what to ask)

When you choose a clinic or service, look for:

1. A diagnostic philosophy that prioritizes pattern recognition and functional targets, not just “check boxes.”
2. Transparent pricing for tests and follow-up (we’ll tell you what’s likely billable vs out-of-pocket).
3. A clear plan for retesting with measurable goals (e.g., vitamin D target, ApoB target, TG/HDL improvement).
4. Integration with clinical follow-through — counseling, nutrition, movement, and supplements that have pathway rationale (not a generic script).
5. Evidence-based sources and continuous learning — training such as Mastering Functional Blood Chemistry or equivalent clinical experience.

Apex and Kharrazian trainings are examples of the kind of practitioner education that produces skilled interpreters; knowing a clinic’s framework helps you understand how they’ll manage your data. (Apex Seminars™, kharrazianinstitute.com)

Where Dr. Hyman and Peter Attia fit in (for the listeners and readers)

If you follow Dr. Mark Hyman, you already know the emphasis on nutrients, vitamin D repletion, and root-cause thinking. If you follow Peter Attia, you expect rigorous cardio-metabolic and longevity measures (OGTT when needed, ApoB, Lp[a], insulin metrics). Our functional blood chemistry practice blends both philosophies: the nutritive, systems-biology emphasis of functional medicine with the advanced cardiometabolic lens favored by longevity clinicians. For example, vitamin D targets in the 40–60 ng/mL range are commonly recommended in these circles and adjusted individually. (Mark Hyman, MD, Routines)

A practical Greenville plan — how we deliver this locally

1. Initial intake (in-clinic or telehealth) — history, meds, nutrition, exposures, and goals.
2. Targeted lab order — a practical, high-value bundle tailored to your risk profile; we explain costs up front.
3. Interpretation visit — a 45–60 minute consult to review pattern analysis, prioritized interventions, and measurable targets.
4. Intervention — individualized nutrition, movement, supplements (we use pathway-targeted products, including reputable formulations), and referrals when needed.
5. Re-test & refine — we retest strategic markers at intervals (often 8–12 weeks) and adapt the plan.

We aim to be the opposite of the “one-off test and generic PDF” model. Our goal is measurable improvement, not just data.

Common questions we hear

Is this expensive? It doesn’t have to be. Smart testing + stepwise intervention is often far less expensive long-term than reactive specialty care because the early fixes (vitamin D, targeted nutrients, diet and movement) are inexpensive and effective.  

Some panels you can get for as low as $150 if you are on a budget!

Will my insurance cover it? Some components (CBC, CMP, lipid panel) are commonly covered; advanced markers (ApoB, Lp[a], Vitamin D) may be out-of-pocket depending on your plan. We’ll explain coverage and cost before ordering.

How fast do labs change? Many markers move in 8–12 weeks with consistent, targeted interventions — that’s why retesting on a schedule matters.

The bottom line

Functional blood chemistry is about catching the drift before the crash. It’s a pragmatic, evidence-forward toolkit that blends the pathway-based teachings of Apex and Dr. Kharrazian with modern longevity practices championed by clinicians like Mark Hyman and Peter Attia. The best part? Most of the meaningful wins are the simple ones: optimize vitamin D, correct early metabolic drift, repair hepatic function, and target cardiovascular particle burden — and then measure to make sure the interventions are working.

If you’re in Greenville, SC and want a clear, research-forward plan (not a generic report), we can help. Schedule an intake and we’ll map a testing package to your history and goals — transparent pricing, clear targets, measurable follow-up.

Selected references & further reading (starter list)

• Apex Seminars — Mastering Functional Blood Chemistry and Fundamentals of Functional Blood Chemistry (course descriptions and curriculum). (Apex Seminars™)
• Dr. Datis Kharrazian — educator and developer of functional blood chemistry teaching materials. (kharrazianinstitute.com)
• Triglyceride/HDL ratio as an early marker of insulin resistance. (PMC)
• Peter Attia — advanced cardiovascular testing (ApoB, Lp[a]) and metabolic-risk emphasis. (Peter Attia)
• Dr. Mark Hyman — functional-medicine perspective on vitamin D and nutrient optimization. (Mark Hyman, MD)

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